Why is Moyes still at Everton?

Kevin Ratcliffe pointed this out the other day and personally I think it was through sheer frustration at the Kenwright regime that made him speak out. Ratcliffe's uttering on TalkSport is thought-provoking and I doubt if it was just an off-the-cuff remark. Here I have come up with three possibilities why Moyes is still at Everton. It would be worth bearing in mind when reading, that when Moyes took over, Everton were relegation fodder, broke, and a Premier League basket case. Though still broke, we are no longer facing relegation every season and have hopes of European football most seasons.

1) No other suitable club

The twelve clubs who finished below Everton last season are either: in the same financial boat as Everton, marginally better off... or in most cases a damn site worse off. So, given that Moyes has always stated his ambition, this alone would rule out the twelve clubs who finished below Everton as being either a sideways move or a worse option.

Of the six who finished above Everton, Man Utd and Arsenal currently have steady managers, Liverpool have just got their messiah back, Chelsea and Man City owners want instant success for their money and, as we know Moyes does not offer that. So this leaves either a move abroad or stay at Everton for the time being for Moyes.

2) He has been given the Man Utd nod:

Every time some lazy, bored journo needs a story, the 'Who will replace SAF?' merry-go-round starts, and Moyes is always their favourite punt. Is there any truth in this?

Possibly: Man Utd's two great eras have both been under Scottish managers and SAF is aknown admirer of Moyes. Whoever replaces SAF, one thing is for sure, Sir Alex will have a part in their appointment. Moyes will have to have won a trophy or two by then and had some more European experience, but the smart money would be on Moyes going there if he can pull it off.

3) The groundwork has been done:

Despite the frustrations of slow starts to the last few seasons, the basis of a good squad of players is still intact. There are signs that his youth players are starting to come through. We have all heard of Barkely and Gueye and hopefully they bring future promise, but there is also Wallace, Vellios, Baxter and McAleny and of course Rodwell is still only 20. It's far too early to even think of a golden generation... but it is not beyond the realm of possibility.

These youngsters could replace players such as Arteta, Cahill, Neville and Distin as they end their careers or move on. Backed up by quality older players like Baines, Jagielka and Fellaini and the odd old hand to help out, like Osman and Hibbert. This of course would mean that the club has a plan or, in other words, Moyes has a plan ? and Kenwright has had nothing to do with it.

In conclusion, I would guess that Moyes is at Everton because there is really no place better for him to go until he has proven himself capable of winning trophies. Moyes is, if nothing else, pragmatic; he may well see his chances of managing a bigger club as a future event and also realise it would be dependent upon him proving himself.

For Everton supporters, we are in a paradoxical situation: we want Moyes to succeed and win trophies but, if he does, it may possibly lead to the end of Moyes's tenure at Everton. If his groundwork has been done well and his youth system is now starting to show signs of fruition, this may give him encouragement to stay on and build the club, become the Everton Matt Busby or Bill Shankly or Alex Ferguson ? all exceptional club builders and also fellow Glaswegians. Jake Temuera,
New Zealand Posted 24/07/2011 at 09:13:22

Jake - You left out Tottenham as one of the teams finishing above us. He may be waiting for Happy Arwie"s job, if he is foolish enough to become the Engerland manager. Mind you I don't think Davie boys management style would suit Tottenham.

Any club that would want Moyes is likely to be seen as a sideways move at best & any club that might be seen as a step forward probably wouldn't want him, including Manchester United. Moyes will be with us for the forseeable & may well have to consider provihim elmself on the continent before he can hope for one of the top jobs back here in England.

But with a few other factors thrown in. He's got a safe seat, a nice salary, a chairman who, while he offers him little, doesn't ask for much either, and for the time being he somehow continues to gain in standing in the popular media.

I can't see any of the elite Premier League clubs (Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal) wanting Moyes. He has not not done anything that is remakable at Everton.

All I can say at the moment is that we are not fighting off relegation... big deal! That is probably because of the continuity from a small closely knit squad rather than outstanding managerial ability... and that many of the teams are nothing special.

He did move us up the league and into Europe but we have performed badly in Europe. Our record in cup competitions is disappointing. We have achieved a stable league position but there are now signs that we are starting to slip away from the top six. Why would an elite club be interested in Moyes?

I think our best chance of winning a cup has passed us by so he will not be able to put that on his CV.

There are no signs that he will be able to construct a trophy winning team. There's no money at the club, good youth players will be snapped up by the elite clubs and established star players will always go where the money and success is.

It's true that it would be pointless for Moyes to join a non-elite club. He may as well stay at Everton.

Moyes would leave Everton, like a shot, if any of the elite clubs came calling. He would not go to Liverpool or Spurs because they cannot compete with the elite clubs. He possibly would go to a top Euro side in Italy, Spain or Germany. He may even consider the Scotland job.

No, not at all. Bolton away last season he just sat their looking like a spoilt twat ? the more Bolton scored, the more spoilt he looked. The Everton fans sung his name but he couldn't give a toss. No, I never think Moyes loves Everton, if he did he would have told BK to fuck off long ago.

I have been a boo boy over the years to Moyes at times, I have called for him to go at times but when my anger dies down I would dread the thought of him leaving now. We have not bought anyone for close on two years, can you imagine gambling on bringing in a new manager now under the present circumstances?

If all of a sudden we got owners like City he would not be my man for the job, but when it comes to what we are in now he is. Come the first two weeks of the season, I will no doubt be calling him again in frustration, but right now I am glad we have him.

He's got the safest job in the EPL which when you compare wages to what he's asked to deliver (survival without any bell end from the chairman) must be a dream ride. Whether or not he finally gets bored seeing any half decent players leaving or being sold and decides to jack it in remains to be seen.

He's not the worst manager in the league but he's far from the greatest or one any of the Sky darlings would seriously chase, including Man U (they would only look for managers with pedigree and a trophy cabinet with cups not memories).

"Chelsea and Man City owners want instant success for their money and, as we know Moyes does not offer that."

I'm sorry, but how do we know this? When his this been proven? When has Moyes had the type of money that would be available at City/Chelsea and not delivered success? Please inform me as there must be a portion of his history that I am completely unaware of.

Andy Codling, if you think Moyes is not under pressure, you really have no clue. Maybe not under pressure to win the league or a cup, but he is under pressure to finish above the likes of Sunderland, Newcastle, Stoke, Aston Villa etc ? all of whom have much bigger budgets than he does. Just because the expectations on him don't meet your Championship Manager style targets, there is pressure on him to achieve what, realistically, is no mean feat.

One thing that SAF, Harry, Arsene, Kenny, a whole gallery of Chelsea managers, plus most other prem managers have never done what pinch-a-point Davy does and that is aim for a draw before a ball is kicked.

Casey Stengel - Completely washed-up manager in baseball. Signed by the NY Yankees (to great protest) to manage the team. From 1949-1961, he managed the Yanks to 7 World Series wins and was in the finals 5 other times.

My point is that I believe Moyes is one of the few managers who matter and he's ours.

I'm a guy who laughs at the TV when announcers tout all these clueless individuals collecting a pay check as manager. The most over-rated position in sport. But I don't laugh at DM anymore than I laugh at SAF or Mourinho. Very few count and we have one of those who do.

No trophies all these years? Fair enough. The "Moyes Tenure" display case sits empty. But the gents I mentioned above are indisputed legends of sport over here. It took them many years to attain that status.

Well, I think Moyes has done a good job, considering what he had to work with. Every year we wish Everton could win a cup (FA Cup or League Cup), probably our only chance of winning silverware. But we always disappoint ourselves. Of the managers in the top four, how many would be able to do what Moyes does with "NO" money? When we can honestly answer that, then we can judge the man.

At least we do have a excellent youth squad coming through, and maybe, just maybe over the next few seasons we can get something. And remember, none of the Everton players actually want or asked to want to leave Goodison. It's probably one of the most stable clubs in the EPL & a club with character. Overall a full season, I have no complaints about Moyes.

My, my.....I never realised that David Moyes shared his reasons for staying at Everton with so many people! Perhaps it may be as well to accept the simple fact that he IS here and hopefully trying to do the best for the club and leave his reasons for doing so to himself and his family - where perhaps they rightfully belong?

There are a couple of golfers not a million miles from you who wouldn't have even booked their flights if they took any notice to bookies' odds, they didn't just fluke their respective Opens, they blew the opposition away and they did it because they believed they could. Have you learned nothing???

I`ll put aside the frustration I feel towards you white flag wavers at the moment and I`ll do you a favour: whatever odds the bookies are offering for us to get into Champions League, I`ll accept 5 points less from you ? if they are offering 25/1, I`ll take 20s from you. Sound fair ?

If my unrealistic idea of realism is suddenly sounding a little too real for you, I`ll take my bet to the professionals. Either way my money WILL be going where my mouth is.

For all Moyes's faults and frustrating traits, I think Jay's (#10) spot on.

For what it's worth, even if "The Special One" (and by that I mean the self-proclaimed rather than Kenwright's) takes over from SAF, as long as Ferguson is involved with Man U (until he's dead), any new manager will not "be good enough".

We'll leave aside the fact that McIlroy's odds are quite short for most tournaments these days...

Your comparision of Darren Clarke's Open win with the chances of Everton making this season's Champions League ? with their very obvious current deficiencies ? is friggin' hilarious... Any chance of comparing apples with apples?

Of course we have a chance; in the great science of maths, I have a chance of sprouting wings and watching games at Goodison for free...

"He can't get the top jobs because they clearly don't think he's good enough."

Who don't think he is good enough? How do you know this for a fact?

The "so called" top jobs that the media etc have talked about over the last 12 years or so have been the Man U, Arsenal and Chelsea jobs.

Man U and Arsenal have not changed their manager in Moyes time at Everton so who is to say when they do they would not want him? I don't know either way whether they would want him or not and neither do you, so i don't see how you can say clearly they do not want him as if it is some sort of fact?

Are you saying it is a fact because Chelsea have not enquired about his services or are you thinking their is other top jobs outside the ones that i have mentioned that prove your point? If so i would love to know which jobs you are refering to?

I`m not knocking you, I actually feel sorry for people with your mindset, You seem unable to grasp the essence of sport. Favourites are beaten in every sport, every day, everywhere. but fear of failure means you cant allow yourself to hope or dream. you cant come on and say what we will do, You will only say what we wont do.Well some of us wont be dragged down by your fear and misery, Some of us prefer to delay the agony until we have actually been hurt